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Admissions Process

Whitefield School educates children and young people 3 – 19 years with a broad range of abilities and special needs. The school comprises six departments. All pupils attending have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP). Each department is expertly led and sharply focuses on providing high quality education and welfare support to meet pupils’ individual needs, ambitions and their full potential.

The Whitefield School departments

Early Years for pupils aged 3-5 years old with autism or speech and communication difficulties.

Peter Turner Primary educates pupils aged 3-11 years who have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and associated learning difficulties including communication, speech and language or hearing loss

Niels Chapman Secondary educates pupils aged 11-19 years who have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and associated learning difficulties including communication, speech and language or hearing loss.

Rebecca Goodman Centre caters for pupils aged 11-19 years old with a wide range of abilities. All pupils have communication and interaction needs whilst some may be on the autistic spectrum, they may additional learning needs and/or hearing loss.

Margaret Brearley Department works with four groups of pupils aged 3-19 years:

Pupils with severe learning difficulties
Pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties
Pupils with multisensory needs – by this we mean pupils who have additional sensory needs alongside other special needs such as physical disabilities or ASC
Pupils taught in Evergreen Class, a virtual provision to support families and our pupils who are nearing the end of their life.

Rowan Sixth Form educates post 16 students who can access a range of qualifications to support their future employment and quality of life. Provision is often in partnership with other credible providers e.g. Waltham Forest College. This enables our students to access a broad curriculum and qualifications offer.

At Whitefield School, success looks different for every pupil and through a tailored curriculum, one-to-one support and targeted interventions, every pupil makes the progress that is right for them. As well as excellent academic provision, the schools’ strong expressive arts and sports offer give pupils the opportunity to excel outside the classroom and develop new skills and interests.

Securing a place for your child at Whitefield School involves a three-way conversation between families, the school and the commissioning local authority. It can be a little confusing, so we hope this step-by-step guide helps you navigate the process.

Ultimately whether your child comes here depends on:

Whether you and your child like it here;
Whether your local authority agrees that a special school is best for your child, and will fund a place here;
Whether we have the space and resources to meet your child’s individual needs;
Where you live: we prioritise children who live in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, although we do also welcome and take children from other boroughs.

The Process

Step 1: Talk to your local authority’s Special Educational Needs (SEN) team

You should be able to find contact details on the education section of your council’s website. The SEND Team will assess your child and if appropriate provide you with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) – previously known as ‘Statements’. The EHCP will indicate whether or not the local authority believes that your child will benefit from being in a special school.

Step 2: Arrange an informal visit to the school to see what we can offer your child

If the local authority concludes that your child will benefit from being in a special school, you should arrange to visit schools that may be able to support your child. To visit us, call Safia Talib on 020 8531 3426 and book on one of our scheduled school tours. You do not need to bring your child on this initial visit; it’s just an opportunity for you to see the school in practice and ask any questions you may have.

Step 3: Inform the local authority of your preferred choice of school

Assuming the local authority believes your child should attend a special school, you should tell the SEND Team that you interested in being referred to Whitefield Schools. If you live outside of Waltham Forest, your local authority may suggest another, more local school. If the local authority agrees to Whitefield Schools as an option, they will send us a referral letter and reports for us to consider.

Step 4: The school formally assesses the referral

At this stage we will match all incoming referrals in terms of age, educational needs and resource requirements to the places that we have available and will treat children who are or have been Looked After as a matter of priority.
Step 5: Meeting with your child

If on paper it looks as if we can meet your child’s needs and we require further information we will contact you. We may arrange to visit you and your child or ask you to visit the school. This face-to-face meeting can be an important opportunity to find out more about your child’s needs and ensure we can fully meet them.

Step 6: The school tells your local authority if we think we are right for you and your child

If we can meet your child’s needs, have the spaces and the right resources, we will inform the local authority. If we don't have a space but can meet your child’s needs, we’ll ask if you would like to be added to our waiting list.

Step 7: Your local authority formally lets you know whether your child has a place at Whitefield Schools

You will hear from your local authority first, not from us.

Step 8: The school sends you a letter

If you’ve been offered a place by the local authority, we'll write to you to let you know about start dates and other arrangements.

Useful Links

If you live in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, you can find information about how the council handles special educational needs and disability provision, including school admissions here:

London Borough of Waltham Forest

If you do not live in Waltham Forest you will need to talk to your own local authority.